Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Children's Book Review, A Bit Lost

The first thing to grab me in this delightful children's picture book was the title. I've been "a bit lost" myself, often for hours and hours! A Bit Lost was written and illustrated by Chris Haughton, and published by Walker Books (this paperback edition in 2011).

Little Owl must be more careful when he is sleeping... Uh-oh! He has fallen from his nest, and with a bump he lands on the ground. Where is his mummy? With the earnest assistance of his new friend Squirrel, Little Owl sets off in search of her, and meets a sequence of other animals. Yet while one might have his mummy’s BIG EYES, and another her POINTY EARS, they are simply not her. Chris Haughton's striking colour illustrations follow Little Owl on his quest. Which of his new friends will lead him back to his mummy?

I loved Squirrel, who listens to Little Owl's clues, then races off with unbridled enthusiasm to produce a range of different mother animals. I loved that Little Owl's clues are completely believable from the point of view of a small owl. And I loved that the text is simple enough to encourage kids to join in. Anyone who's been a bit lost will relate to Little Owl's predicament, and rejoice with him when he finds Mummy Owl again.

Kids will giggle over A Bit Lost. I found myself in a ripple of humour from the start, and smiling mistily at the end. It's a gentle book, beautifully simple, and visually enticing. Haughton's art work is vibrant, his choice of colours inspired. The starkness of Little Owl's black tree silhouetted against the pink, purple and orange background is stunning. Haughton's own background in design is evident - this is his debut children's picture book, and it has already been translated into 8 languages, and won 7 awards in 4 countries including the Dutch picture book of the year. You can discover more about Haughton's illustrating process on his blog.